The determination of the three dimensional atomic structure of matter is one of the most important areas of pure and applied research. One way in which the three dimensional atomic structure of matter can be determined is through X-ray crystallography. X-ray crystallography utilizes the diffraction of X-rays from crystals in order to determine the precise arrangement of atoms within the crystal. The result may reveal the atomic structure of substances such as metal alloys, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), or the structure of proteins.
There are very important benefits to knowing the accurate molecular structure of a protein crystal. For example, once the molecular structure is known, a drug designer can more effectively develop effective therapeutic agents and drugs. However, despite its promises, X-ray crystallography is limited by the fact that it is very difficult to grow successful crystals.